September 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Michael Hickey/Getty ImagesCanaan Smith finds a creative way to get over heartbreak in the music video for his latest single, “Colder Than You.”

In the clip, Canaan hightails it out into the woods to hide from a relationship gone bad, with only his pickup truck and some beer-brewing gear for company. Over the course of the video, we see Canaan mix together water, hops and so much more, ending up with a delicious beer that’s a surefire cure for heartache.

Filmed by a creek in a scenic stretch of Georgia near the Blue Ridge Mountains, the “Colder Than You” video combines two of the singer’s real-life passions: The outdoors and a delicious chilled beer.  In fact, Canaan hints that the video’s subject matter is also a clue about at something to come that he’s got brewing off-camera.

It’s certainly not the first time that Canaan has celebrated the magic of a cold beer in his songs. Previously-released tunes include “Pour Decisions” and “Beer Drinkin’ Weather.” His latest tune was co-produced by Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley; Canaan is also signed to the duo’s Round Here Records.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LANearly a year after the release of her seventh studio album, Wildcard, Miranda Lambert revisits the process of making the record in a new behind-the-scenes video featuring her producer, Jay Joyce, and some of the writers who helped her make the album.

The project marked a turning point for Miranda, who says that she returned to the mindset of making her first album, Kerosene, and also changed directions by taking a break from working with her longtime producer, Frank Liddell.

The result, she reflects, was an album that came together completely naturally.

“Of all the albums I’ve made, [Wildcard] is the one that I’ve over-thought the least. I just had confidence in the process,” she explains. “I just felt like it was gonna work.”

“It ended up in a place of just owning it — all of it,” the singer continues, explaining that while Wildcard marked a new venture for her in some respects, it also sees her getting closer than ever to the musical identity she’s always had.

“I’ve always been that way in my music. I’ve never tried to hide anything. Sometimes I’ve been too honest, uncomfortably honest,” Miranda points out. “But I just believe in it, because that’s my job, is to just say, ‘Here’s my story, hope y’all have one similar.”

Throughout the behind-the-scenes video, Miranda also revisits some specific songs off of Wildcard and shares the stories behind them, with songwriters such as Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Ashley Monroe and many more.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAMatt Stell returns today with news of a new EP, Better Than That, due for release on October 16.

Matt’s next batch of tunes will include his current top-10 single “Everywhere but On,” as well as his breakout hit “Prayed for You” and another previously-released song, “If I Was a Bar.”

In addition to those three songs that fans already know and love, Matt’s including five new tracks on Better Than That. The singer says that although he’s been sad to be off the road this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these songs have been an upside to quarantine.

“I think the silver lining to quarantine and being off the road is that I’ve been able to focus on writing and becoming more creative,” the singer explains. “I’m really proud of these new songs, so it’s exciting to finally get them out to the fans.”

Though the full  Better Than ThatEP won’t drop until next month, Matt is tiding fans over with the release of the title track, “Better Than That.” It’s a catchy, mid-tempo love song for a girl worth waiting for, with lyrics that focus on how sometimes, a more subtle strategy is more effective when it comes to flirting.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

©Grand Ole Opry/ Photo By: Chris HolloEver since the COVID-19 pandemic forced Nashville stages to close to the public back in March, the Grand Ole Opry has been broadcasting its weekly Saturday evening show without its usual live audience.

Now, the venue announces that they will begin welcoming back concertgoers on Saturday, October 3 — with some safety measures in place.

Each show will have a strict capacity cap at 500 audience members, with physically distanced seating that allows groups to sit together but distances them from other audience members. All guests, staff and Opry operations personnel will be required to wear masks, and there will be no concessions services. Furthermore, the venue will have enhanced cleaning procedures and temperature checks for all staff.

Dierks Bentley, Terri Clark, Vince Gill and Lorrie Morgan are on deck to perform on October 3, which is also the Opry’s 95th anniversary celebration. Appropriately enough, it also marks Dierks’ 15th anniversary of being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry family.

The show will continue to be livestreamed on the venue’s website, as well as broadcast on the Opry’s flagship home of 650 WSM AM.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LADolly Parton’s heard some pretty salacious rumors about herself over the years. She’s been falsely romantically linked to everyone from Elvis Presley to Kenny Rogers, accused of being ultra-high maintenance in the studio, and much more.

The star has gotten used to shutting down stories about herself that aren’t true, but there is one long-time rumor that she admits holds a little bit of water.

“I do have some tattoos, that’s true,” Dolly tells People. “But they’re tasteful. I’m not a tattoo girl. My tattoos are pretty, they’re artful…”

In fact, she adds, she got the idea to start adding some ink to her skin not because she loved the idea of tattoos necessarily, but in order to cover up scarring related to long-ago medical procedures.

“They usually started out to cover some scar, not to make a big statement. Ribbons and bows and butterflies are the things that I have,” the singer continues. “I was very sick for a while and I had to wear a feeding tube. It left a little indentation on my side and I didn’t like it because I’m so fair that scars turn purple on me.”

So, she decided to take matters into her own hands. “I like to make positives out of negatives. I had a little beehive tattooed over it — a little yellow-and-brown beehive with a tiny little bee on top of the hive. The mouth of it is that little sinkhole,” Dolly explains.

She goes on to say that she’s not ruling out the possibility of adding to her collection, especially after seeing how fascinated fans are with her tattoos.

“Who knows, I may get some more later,” Dolly adds. “I may just have to get covered with tattoos just so everybody could be right!”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.